Spring terminal clip



Oc t. 9,' 1934. J. WACHSMAN ,3

SPRING TERMINAL CLIP Original Filed May 20, 1933 [NVE/V 701a.

ATTO

Patented Oct. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,976,312 SPRING TERMINAL ,CLIP

Jacob Wachsman, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Original applicationMay 20, 1933, Serial No.

671,947.- Divided and this application Novemher 9, 1933, Serial No. 697,297

2 Claims. ((1173-2519) The object of this invention is to provide a spring terminal clip constructed in a novel and improved manner whereby to increase the usefulness of the clip.

Spring terminal clips are known to the art, but so far as I know, they are nearly all so constructed as to require operation with one hand, while the other hand manipulates and inserts the conductor, usually the end thereof, from the side of the clip.

However, as pointed out in my pending application Serial Number 671,947 filed May 20, 1933 for Knitting machines-of which application this one is a division-spring terminal clips are often i used at the top of a knitting or other machine where it is very inconvenient to operate the clip apart from the operation of attaching the conductor, or where, for instance, a conductor such as an electric wire must be connected intermediate its ends. In such cases it is a great advantage if the conductor can be held with both hands a distance apart on each side of the terminal clip and be inserted in the latter by an upward swift movement.

1 ends of the conductor.

With this object in view, the spring terminal clip is constructed to receive the conductor by a movement face-on against the clip as distinguished from an insertion made from the side of the clip. However, I wish it understood that I do not limit my invention to this particular mode of operation.

Accordingly my invention is embodied in a spring terminal clip constructed and arranged as hereinafter set forth and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front face view of the clip.

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, looking from the righthand side of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the clip.

Fig. 4 is a rear view.

Fig. 5 is a side view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating the operation of attaching a conductor.

The terminal clip is made from a strip of suit- I able copper or brass or other suitable conducting material adapted for the purpose. The strip is of suitable length to provide a necessary body portion 6 for attaching the clip. In the drawing the body portions are shown broken because the length thereof, and the particular bending or shaping thereof, the provision of holes for fastening, and the like are no particular part of the invention and may be made to suit the particular element, place or installation where the clip is to be secured and used. The body portion 6 is shown'twisted at'right angle below the clip portion merely because it is so shown in the application referred to. It need not be twisted at all.

The body portion forms a clip back 7 in which there is made a U-shaped slit whereby to sever a lip 8 from the said back '7. The lip is bent forwardly from the back at 9 at an acute angle thereto, and the end of the lip is formed into 701 a backwardly bent jaw 10. The lip 8 is relatively stiff and serves partly as a conductor guiding element in the clip for reasons which will presently be set forth.

The free end of the clip is bent forwardly above the lip 8 to form an overhanging, yielding loop 12 with the jaw 14 extending downward in substantially parallel position to the body back 7. The jaw H is provided with a cut-out portion 15 adapted to permit passage of the lip jaw 10. The jaw 14 itself is bent angularly as at 16 to form an opposing jaw as shown. The extreme end 17 of the jaw 14 is preferably bent or curved toward the back '7.

The normal relative positions of the two opposed jaws 10 and 16 are as shown in Figure 2, where it will be observed that the jaw 10, which may be termed a fixed jaw, projects through the opening 15 in the jaw 16, which may be called a movable spring jaw in that it has a tendency, inherent in the material, to assume an extreme position as in Figure 2 away from the back portion '7 and as will be understood.

This particular construction of the spring terminal clip is believed to be broadly new and possesses the advantage that the conductor 20 may be inserted and connected by a depression of the spring movable jaw 16 caused by pressing the connector face-on against said movable jaw.

Wire terminal connectors or clips of a somewhat similar construction are known in the art. But so far as I know, the use of such prior connectors requires that the operator depress the movable jaw with one hand and then stick the end of the connector in between the jaws from the side. My terminal clip or connector diifers from such prior disclosures in that the conductor may be attached by placing it transversely of the face of the connector above the jaw 10; then sliding the conductor downwards along the upper surface of the fixed jaw 10 while pressing on the jaw 16. Thus the connector arrives in the position shown in Figure 5 and is brought into final position as in Figure 2 by an upward movement in the direction of the arrow 25 in Figure 5. The movable jaw then snaps outward and the connector is then firmly gripped by the tWo jaws. The movable jaw therefore preferably projects quite a distance below the fixed jaw to insure that the conductor does not snap in behind the movable jaw.

In other words, the conductor is attached by placing it against the face of the connector and then moving it in under the fixed jaw with a quick looping movement. It has been found to be of great advantage in knitting machines, for instance, to be able to interconnect several electric stop motions by a single conducting wire secured to them by terminal clips as herein disclosed. The operation is almost instantaneous.

The clip may, of course, be used in any other position from that shown in the drawing, and the terms up and down, front and rear, etc., are to be understood relative to the position in which the clip is mounted. It will further be understood that changes within the scope of the appended claims may be made in the construction shown and described without departing from the principle of the invention.

I claim:

1. A terminal connector of the character described comprising a strip of conducting material, the extreme one end thereof being bent backwards to form a looped spring clip, said clip having a jaw formed therein facing outwardly, a portion of said strip adjacent to said looped spring clip being bent away from the strip to form a relatively fixed jaw extending in the same direction as the said spring clip jaw and adapted to cooperate with the aforesaid spring clip jaw to secure a connector therebetween, said fixed jaw normally projecting through an aperture in the clip jaw to form a guiding surface for a conductor whereby a portion of the conductor remote from its ends may be conveniently moved into connecting relation with the jaws by a clip depressing movement along said guiding surface.

2. A terminal connector of the character described comprising a flat body of conducting material, the free end of said body being bent back upon itself with a looped portion to form a yielding depressible clip, said clip having an outward angular bend and being provided with an elongated aperture, a tongue out out from the said connector body opposite the said clip and bent in the same direction as the said clip to project through the aperture therein to form a relatively fixed guiding surface in front of the clip whereby when said clip is depressed by moving a wire against the same and along the guiding surface, said wire may be conveniently passed underneath the end of the tongue in front of the clip to be held between the tongue and the clip.

JACOB WACHSMAN. 

